


Recruiter's Regret: Special Chapter

by Legendary_Map_Maker



Series: Squidbeak Chatroom and Special Chapters [2]
Category: Splatoon
Genre: Ambiguous Agent 4/Marie (Splatoon), Ambiguous Relationships, Female Agent 4, Fluff, Gen, Mute Agent 4
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-13
Updated: 2019-09-13
Packaged: 2020-11-02 04:51:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20627699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Legendary_Map_Maker/pseuds/Legendary_Map_Maker
Summary: After Callie slipped to Agent 4 that Marie regretted recruiting her, Agent 4 had been avoiding Marie for days. Marie was able to confront Agent 4 in the New Squidbeak Splatoon chatroom, and they have agreed to a meeting where Marie may explain the context behind what Callie said; Marie must show Agent 4 the Factopedia to prove Callie took the message out of context.(Takes place between Chapters 6 and 7 of Squidbeak Chatroom. Unlike those chapters, this is not a chatlog. Enough context should be given for the reader to understand it without having read Squidbeak Chatroom, so readers may read this as a one shot if they wish.)(As with Squidbeak Chatroom, the relationship is ambiguous. Readers are free to interpret the interaction as either platonic or romantic.)





	Recruiter's Regret: Special Chapter

Marie stood by Cuttlefish Cabin in Tentakeel Outpost holding a parasol in one hand and her phone in the other. Her umbrella was angled to keep the midday sunlight from shining on her.

She breathed a sigh of relief as she closed an app on her phone and put it in her pocket. She had just organized a meeting with Agent 4, her favorite non-relative member of the New Squidbeak Splatoon. For the last few days, Agent 4 had not shown up to take Charger lessons from Marie nor to give Inkling Sign Language lessons to Marie. According to her messages, Agent 4 had heard Callie mention Marie had regretted recruiting Agent 4.

While Marie was glad to have an explanation for Agent 4's increased isolation, she wanted to clarify what Callie had said. Marie entered Cuttlefish Cabin and searched through the mess of items for a particular notebook. Hidden under a stack of books was a green, overstuffed three-ringed binder. After she pulled it out, one could see the cover read “Marie's Agent 4 Factopedia.” She put the binder under her arm and adjusted it so her arm hid the title on its cover.

Marie took the Factopedia and her parasol with her through the grate between Octo Canyon and Inkopolis Square. When she emerged in Inkopolis Square, she scanned the area looking for Agent 4. She found the Inkling she was looking for sitting in the back of the square with two Triple-Fried Galactic Seanwichs.

Marie held a parasol between her face and the rest of the square and walked along the edge until she reached the back. She worried if anyone in the square recognized her, then she would undoubtedly be swarmed by fans. She could only call it a miracle that she managed to stand in the corner of the square for so long without being recognized.

When Marie reached the table Agent 4 was sitting at, Agent 4 was staring down at the two Seanwichs. “Hey Four...” Marie greeted as she sat down and closed her parasol. Agent 4 only gave a small wave without looking up. “Feelin' hungry today?” Marie asked. Agent 4 responded by pushing one of the Seanwichs towards Marie. “Thanks.”

_"No problem,_” Agent 4 signed.

Marie set the Factopedia down on the table. “This is the Factopedia.”

“_Why is it so big? How is it so big?”_ asked Agent 4 as she looked in the direction of the loud thud. With the exception of Callie snooping through her things, Marie had never shown the Factopedia to anyone before. Therefore, this was the first time Agent 4 had seen the Factopedia.

“I'm thorough,” Marie answered, hoping to avoid going into more detail. She began to turn through the early pages of the Factopedia. “All the notes in here are organized in chronological order. The first notes I took are in the front, and the most recent notes are in the back. Here,”---Marie turned the open binder towards Agent 4, and pointed to its current page---“is what Callie was referencing when she said I didn't want to recruit you. She took the first sentence out of context.”

Marie waited for Agent 4 to read the page. She ran one of her hands over her parasol. She looked up at Agent 4, whose eyes were still sweeping over the page. Marie adjusted the pink hat on her head. She looked up at Agent 4 again. This time, Agent 4's eyes were no longer moving across the page. “Did you finish reading it?” she hesitantly asked.

Agent 4 nodded. After a pause, she began to sign, in reference to what she read, “_You shouldn't feel guilty. You helped me save Callie._”

“I know that now, but when I wrote that page, we hadn't saved her yet,” said Marie. “I felt as though I should've tried to save her myself instead of getting some kid to do it for me.”

“_I'm 18._”

“I didn't know that at the time; you looked two years younger than Agent 3, not two years older,” Marie defended. “Anyway, so that's what Callie meant when she said I regretted recruiting you. She just left out the context to, as she puts it, spice it up.”

Another pause. Slowly, Agent 4 signed “_Do you still regret making me an Agent?_”

“What, no! You're my second favorite agent.”

Agent 4 released a breath Marie had not noticed she was holding. Agent 4 looked up at Marie and her expression brightened. “_Second behind you?_”

“No, behind Callie. But...if we're including me, then I guess you're in third,” Marie added with her signature smirk. Agent 4 giggled in response, and Marie's shoulders felt relaxed. “You haven't eaten your Seanwich yet.”

“_Neither have you._”

“I asked you first.”

“_Not very hungry, but I need the coin bonus._”

“You can keep mine then.” Marie nudged her Seanwich towards Agent 4. “I'm not exactly hurting for cash.”

“_The effect doesn't stack._” Agent 4 nudged it back towards Marie.

“I'm on a diet.” She pushed it back.

“_Cheat day._” Agent 4 pushed it again.

Marie sighed. “You won't be happy unless I take this from you, will you?” Agent 4 nodded before taking a bite from her own Seanwich. Agent 4 looked down at the Factopedia and began to flip the pages. Marie snatched the Factopedia from the table and slammed it shut. “That's going away now.”

Agent 4 continued to eat her Seanwich. “_What about that is so secret? It's about me!_”

Marie ignored the question. “Have you done any singing lately?”

“_A little. Mostly humming._”

“Y'know, Pearl's trying to organize a concert. That'd be a good time to show off your singing skill.” Agent 4 eyes widened in shock. Immediately after, she began to choke on her Seanwich. “Four!” Just as Marie jumped up from her seat, Agent 4 managed to spit out what she was choking on. “Don't scare me like that...” Marie said as she sat back down.

“Sorry,” Agent 4 verbally mumbled_. _Then, she signed “_I'm fine now._” She wrapped the chewed piece of food in a napkin and threw it away. When she returned, she answered “_I don't think I'll be performing._”

“But you're good at it!” Marie said. She then added, using her signature smirk, “You had lessons from me, after all.”

“_I'm barely comfortable singing in front of you. I don't know if I could sing in front of the other agents. I especially couldn't sing in front of strangers._”

“What if you closed your eyes?”

“_Two..._”

“I'm serious. It's what I did when Callie and I started out.”

“_Really?_”

“Yes. Y'know...” Marie hesitated, before she admitted “I'm not always as confident I sound.” She took a breath. “Please, Four. I _know_ you can do it.”

Agent 4 considered it for a moment. “_If I perform at the concert, can you help me get permission to sing a certain song._”

Marie smiled. “Absolutely.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed the story. I plan to write more Special Chapters in the future, and at least one Special Chapter is---at the time of writing this---in progress.
> 
> Any feedback would be appreciated.


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